A Time of Change Brought the Biggest BURDEN

Coming
to theatres from writer/director Andrew Heckler’s debut and 101 Studios comes
the story of courage, change and belief when under a BURDEN.

Mike
Burden (Garrett Hedlund) is a young man who came to be raised by Klu Klux Klan
leader Tom Griffin (Tom Wilkinson). In the small South Carolina town it puts a
divide between the white and African American community with Reverend Kennedy
(Forest Whitaker) keeping the peace.

Mike
works repossessing electronics from people who are behind in their payments
along with friend Clint (Austin Hebert). That is how he meets Judy (Andrea
Riseborough) and after hearing her young son will be devastated not to see the
Nascar races on the television, Mike makes arrangements for them to keep it.
Yet, when seeing classmate Clarence (Usher Raymond), he has no problem taking
his television.

Tom
decides to open up a museum celebrating the history of the KKK in an historic
movie theatre which sends the Reverend and most of the town into shock. Mike
tries not to bring to much attention to his involvement because he truly begins
to care for Judy and wants to have a life with her. Tom notices and isn’t
beyond making his own mark with Judy’s son.

As
the Reverend and townspeople protest the museum, Tom makes a request of Mike
that forces him to make a decision. Turning away from the KKK, the Reverend
decides that it is time to replace hate with love and offers to help Mike both
physically and emotionally.

But
it isn’t going to be easy to step away from the only life he’s known and there
are those who are going to make sure Mike suffers every step.

Hedlund
as Mike is a man who has consistently stood by the leaders, he feels gave him a
family. There is a part of him that remembers friendship with Clarence and is
torn between the heart that knows what is right and turning away from a
‘family’. Hedlund is shy when it comes to his feelings and frightening when his
rage kicks in. There are scenes of brilliance where he is in pain to speak and
the final scene where his face says it all.

Whitaker
as Reverend Kennedy is a man who tries to keep the peace in town even if there
are small battles in his own home. Once he sees the museum, there is no
question that he must do whatever it takes to keep it from becoming a permanent
part of their town. Whitaker is strong in this role and the scenes with Hedlund
are powerful and healing for both characters.

Riseborough
as Judy is a woman who doesn’t take any nonsense from Mike or from KKK leader
Tom. She doesn’t believe as Mike does yet there is something about him that she
sees a chance for his life to change. Raymond as Clarence remembers a
friendship with Mike and believes that there is something more for him on the
other side of the KKK tracks. He believes that given a chance, Mike can be
saved from those who want to destroy him.

BURDEN
is a story written by director Andrew Heckler after meeting the real Reverend
Kennedy. Heckler read about the museum in an article and decided to pen the
story from Kennedy’s account. The script was written in 1998 but has taken
Heckler twenty years to make the film and this is his directorial debut.

This
is a story of reality, redemption and the belief that the heart can let go of
wrong and embrace positive changes. The film also deals with the twisted
beliefs of a group of towns people who believe so much that they are right that
hurting those who get in their way is of no consequence or guilt.

The
cast brings out the story that shows the Reverends side of fight and all the
frustrations that come with it. They are angry and afraid but not so much that
they would allow what is happening at the museum to continue without a fight.
Having lived in a small southern town, I can tell you that the believability of
this story is 100%.

This
may be 2020 but that doesn’t mean the belief that the character of Mike was
raised with is gone because it isn’t, and it isn’t only found in small southern
towns. What BURDEN does bring into focus the ability to talk about these issues
openly and make us all aware that 20 years ago a group of people tried to open
a museum that horrified a community.

I
see BURDEN as a teachable film that has the greatest potential to reach more
than just a theatre audience. It is so powerful and far reaching that it is
clear why the film received a standing ovation when it was shown at the
Sundance Film Festival.